BUMPSUIT and Cubbiekit Make Innovative Clothing for Moms and Babies

Creating feel-good and look-good products for mom and baby alike, these two young moms are helping to revolutionize both maternity wear and baby wear.

Australian model and wife of Gary Clark Jr., Nicole Trunfio, is the founder and CEO of BUMPSUIT, a cozy line of snug and soft versatile clothing pieces for mothers to wear to the gym, work, while lounging or on a date night. Double-lined, gentle, extremely supportive and designed to be flattering, BUMPSUIT is easily dressed up or down, and it’s easy to take off. One of the most popular items, the “support waist trainer,” is described as a must-have for shapewear, postpartum healing, breastfeeding, working out or sitting at a desk.

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“All of our styles stretch really nicely and don’t have any loose material. We use a special fabric that keeps the structure so they can be worn for all your lady bumps in any stage, so you don’t have to worry about getting the wrong size,” says Trunfio. “We use the term ‘for ALL your lady bumps’ because we want every woman to know you can feel sexy and like a superhero in BUMPSUIT. All women have gorgeous and strong bodies.”

Once baby is born, Austin-based entrepreneur, Salwa Khan, has a solution to not only save parents hours of time from shopping — but also help the environment, hopefully making the world better and safe for future generations.

A pandemic-born business, Khan launched her subscription-based line for essential baby clothing items in 2020, shortly after the birth of her second child, a baby boy.

“The quality is so soft, it feels like butter on your face,” says Khan of the certified organic 100% cotton that’s sourced and manufactured from Turkey. The items are certified under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This helps prevent harm to a baby’s body and assures there are no synthetic pesticides throughout the production process.

Socially conscious, Khan’s team regularly visits the manufacturing facility to see production with their own eyes, ensuring workers are treated fairly and have fair living wages.

When Khan launched Cubbiekit, a subscription service dedicated to clothing for babies under the age of two didn’t exist. Now, with a few clicks of a quiz, her team can learn more about the baby recipient to personalize a quarterly, organic subscription that can be canceled at any time. Factors including location and seasonal weather are taken into consideration.

“I was a stressed mom. I was a busy mom. I just wanted things to be better, and I didn’t want it to be the mom’s responsibility only to take care of the full lifecycle of what happens to clothing after we are done with it. It’s the company’s responsibility,” said Khan. At an estimated 14 million tons annually, the volume of clothing that Americans throw away is double the amount from 20 years ago.

To extend the clothing lifecycle as a baby grows, parents can easily send clothing items back, via the original packaging. The program — called “Closing the Loop” — allows subscribers to request a shipping label, in exchange for a Cubbiekit discount card. Once returned, the items are reused, sent to charity partners, or upcycled with a cloth partner into something like a cloth diaper liner.

Giving back is something Kahn learned while working at Kendra Scott for five years. Along with a donation program to help struggling moms, Cubbiekit supports Gays with Kids regularly, helping to modernize the face of parenting.

“There are so many different family institutions that look different than the traditional 1950s mothers and fathers,” says Khan. “There are no traditional gender dynamics with two mothers or two fathers. Both roll up their sleeves and do the ‘quote un-quote’ mommy tasks and daddy tasks. I really respect and feel like that’s the future of parenting for all households.”

New, convenient and versatile products are in the works this year for Cubbiekit, including the line’s first zippered item. After finding the perfect recyclable zipper, Khan plans to release a sleeper where the footies can be zipped off, easily transforming the item into a daytime playsuit.

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“My favorite item is the short-sleeve romper because it’s something easy I can put my son in,” says Khan. “When he was younger, I loved the changeable nightsuit. It’s a gown and makes changing diapers easier at night. But in the morning, it can be converted into a daytime playsuit.”

Currently, Cubbiekit’s most popular item colors are yellow and a gender-neutral play on pink and peach called “sunset.” Each Cubbiekit comes with six pieces: three tops, two bottoms and one playsuit. Additional items are available for purchase a la carte.